


The Good Die First

by the_spookable_smoosh



Category: TLOU2 - Fandom, The Last of Us, The Last of Us Two - Fandom, tlou - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Drinking, F/M, Graphic, Joel's death, Mom!Reader, Reader is Ellie's mother figure, Self Harm, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29966127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_spookable_smoosh/pseuds/the_spookable_smoosh
Summary: Joel hasn't seen Y/N in a few hours.Probably bad writing. I don't care. In my emotions about Joel Miller. Read it or don't.
Relationships: Ellie/Reader, Joel (The Last of Us)/Reader, Joel/Ellie, Joel/Reader
Kudos: 10





	The Good Die First

Joel walked through the streets of Jackson, tired and a little tipsy. He’d spent the night at the Bison. Watching Ellie dance with Dina and Cat and Jesse. It was cute. Reminded him of something he couldn't place. 

Joel rounded a corner and saw Y/N’s lights on. That was odd. It was damn near one in the morning and she had said she was going to bed early. He'd asked if she wanted to go to the Bison with him, grab a drink, and she’d said she’d think about it. He had seen Y/N’s lights off when he’d left- had assumed she was asleep. He decided to check on her. Better safe than sorry in this world.

His footfalls grew heavier the closer he got to Y/N’s door. Joel knew in his gut something was wrong. He knocked on her door. 

Once. 

Twice.

No answer. He tried the handle to find the door unlocked. That was really odd. She was about as paranoid as him- no way her door would be unlocked. Unless someone else had left it that way. 

Fear raced through him as he called out her name, checking every room.

“Y/N? Hon, are you here? Y/N!” His shouting grew more frantic as he approached her bedroom. He looked around the corner and saw that it was empty. That left one more room. Joel’s gaze fell to his left and he noticed her bathroom at the end of the hall had been left open. There was something dark on the floor- a stark contrast to the white tile. 

“Y/N?” He whispered- his voice shaking. Joel nudged the door open with his hand, peering into the small room. His eyes landed on Y/N. Sitting propped against her bathtub. Words were written on the floor in dark brown- brown paint. That's what it was. Paint. 

_I’m sorry. I loved her. And you. Tell Ellie I'm glad I got be her-_ a few words were scribbled out _-whatever I was for as long as I did. Bury me deep._

Joel collapsed to his knees and cradled Y/N's face in his hands. She was cold. Her beautiful lips had grown pale. Her eyes bloodshot. Her wrists- slit open. A small box cutter in her right hand. 

“No. No, don't you do this. You don't get to leave me. You promised. You promised.” After shaking her a few times he knew. She was gone. 

-

-

-

Ellie was nervous. She had been drinking all night but something had happened. Tommy had come over to Maria and the two of them raced out of the Bison. Dina looked at her concerned. 

“What is it? Breach?” Dina shrugged and raced to follow them. Ellie and Dina trailed Tommy and Maria for a few streets, staying far behind. Whatever it was, Maria had made a point of not involving Ellie. 

When they turned onto Y/N's street Ellie’s heart dropped into her stomach. 

_No._

Ellie sprinted, not caring if Tommy and Maria tried to stop her. 

_Nononononononono_

“Ellie! Stop! You don't wanna-” Tommy held an arm out to stop her but she shoved him away. 

_Not her. Not her._

Ellie was running up her sidewalk when Joel came out of her house. His eyes on the ground. His knees covered in blood. A choked sob escaped her. 

“Where's Y/N?”

Joel just looked at her. That was the first time she'd seen him cry. 

_“Where's my mom?”_ Ellie screamed at him. She ran at him, but Joel refused to let her through.

Joel’s arms wrapped around her. To comfort or contain she didn't know.

Ellie dropped to the ground sobbing. 

Joel held her as she screamed. As she thrashed against him. 

“Why didn't you save her? Please, go save her. Please.”

Joel clung to her. His own tears wetted her shoulder.

When Ellie stopped crying Joel let her go. She pulled away to look at him. 

“How?” Ellie asked.

Joel let a box cutter fall from his hand. The blade was retreated, but she knew then what happened.

“She said she loved you.” Joel said simply.

Ellie stood and backed away. Backed away from Joel, from her mother’s house and blood and body. 

“It should've been you.” Ellie ran into the night. She snuck out of the East gate and stayed out until dawn. 

-

-

-

Two weeks later Ellie found him.   
  


Alone.

Beaten. 

Bloody.

Dead. 


End file.
